The present invention is a tabbed circuit board populated with electrical components and method for manufacturing same.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are useful in various lighting applications. Since the development of LEDs, many attempts have been made to utilize them in innovative ways. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,592,238 and 6,953,262, which are incorporated herein by this reference, each describe the use of LEDs in an illumination device to simulate neon lighting. The use of LEDs offer many advantages compared with neon lighting including, for example, better durability and reduced costs. As described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,592,238 and 6,953,262, a circuit board is typically populated with LEDs and placed in a housing adjacent the light-receiving surface of a rod-like member or waveguide. The rod-like member/waveguide is made of a material that preferentially scatters light entering the light-receiving surface such that the light intensity pattern exiting a light-emitting surface of the rod-like member/waveguide is substantially uniform.
In many cases, it is desirable to have a particular compact configuration for such an illumination device, i.e., a low-profile illumination device. Accordingly, in order to fit a circuit board populated with LEDs into a smaller housing, it is common to manipulate the legs of the LEDs until the LEDs are oriented approximately parallel to the remainder of the circuit board. However, the legs are weakened and may become susceptible to breaking when so manipulated. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, manipulating the legs in this manner may stress the LED itself and/or damage the internal components of the LED or its housing. Accordingly, there remains a need for a circuit board populated with LEDs that is suitable for a compact configuration of an illumination device.